Dapchi girls comments: You are inhumane, unpatriotic, FG replies PDP

The Federal Government has accused the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) of plumbing the depths of infamy for saying
the adoption and release of the Dapchi school girls were
stage-managed.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said such postulation
portrays the PDP as an inhumane, insensitive, unpatriotic and
unworthy party.

He said since the release of the Dapchi girls were negotiated by
friendly countries and reputable international organisations, it
would have taken a conspiracy of global proportion to have
stage-managed the adoption and release of the girls.

Alhaji Mohammed said the reaction of the PDP amounts to an
expression of sour grapes, especially because the party failed
woefully – when it was in power – to quickly resolve a similar
abduction of schoolgirls.

”As we have said many times since the abduction of the Dapchi
schoolgirls, no government is exempted from its own share of
tragedies. What makes the difference is the way such tragedies are
managed. Whereas it took the PDP all of 18 days to even acknowledge
the abduction of the Chibok girls in 2014, the APC Federal
Government acted promptly and responsively when the Dapchi school
girls were abducted 19 Feb. 2018, hence their quick release,” he
said.

The Minister said it is unfortunate that the PDP that failed
woefully as a ruling party has also failed grievously as an
opposition party, going by its insensitive and crude response to
the release of the Dapchi schoolgirls – a development that calls
for a non-partisan celebration.

”In its 16 years in power, the PDP redefined governance as
cluelessness, massive looting of the public treasury and crude
exhibition of power. In its over three years in opposition, the PDP
has again shown it does not understand the role of the opposition
in a democracy. How then can the PDP convince Nigerians that it has
learned its lessons and that it is ready to rule the country again?
Nigerians must say ‘never again’ to this primitive and soulless
party,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the Federal Government has not been
responding to the amateurish and jejune statements from the PDP
precisely because the party has failed to learn the ropes of being
an opposition party, ”even when we have advised them to take a
crash course on the role of the opposition in a democracy.

”We broke our own rules this time because the PDP over-reached
itself and scored an own goal at a time it could simply have
congratulated the government and people of Nigeria on the release
of the girls or just keep quiet,” he said.

The Minister assured Nigerians that the Federal Government will
intensify the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the
remaining Chibok girls and return them safely to their families,
just like over 100 other Chibok girls who have so far been
released, unlike the PDP that could not secure the release of even
one of the girls before it was booted out of power.

The Federal Government has accused the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) of plumbing the depths of infamy for saying
the adoption and release of the Dapchi school girls were
stage-managed.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said such postulation
portrays the PDP as an inhumane, insensitive, unpatriotic and
unworthy party.

He said since the release of the Dapchi girls were negotiated by
friendly countries and reputable international organisations, it
would have taken a conspiracy of global proportion to have
stage-managed the adoption and release of the girls.

Alhaji Mohammed said the reaction of the PDP amounts to an
expression of sour grapes, especially because the party failed
woefully – when it was in power – to quickly resolve a similar
abduction of schoolgirls.

”As we have said many times since the abduction of the Dapchi
schoolgirls, no government is exempted from its own share of
tragedies. What makes the difference is the way such tragedies are
managed. Whereas it took the PDP all of 18 days to even acknowledge
the abduction of the Chibok girls in 2014, the APC Federal
Government acted promptly and responsively when the Dapchi school
girls were abducted 19 Feb. 2018, hence their quick release,” he
said.

The Minister said it is unfortunate that the PDP that failed
woefully as a ruling party has also failed grievously as an
opposition party, going by its insensitive and crude response to
the release of the Dapchi schoolgirls – a development that calls
for a non-partisan celebration.

”In its 16 years in power, the PDP redefined governance as
cluelessness, massive looting of the public treasury and crude
exhibition of power. In its over three years in opposition, the PDP
has again shown it does not understand the role of the opposition
in a democracy. How then can the PDP convince Nigerians that it has
learned its lessons and that it is ready to rule the country again?
Nigerians must say ‘never again’ to this primitive and soulless
party,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the Federal Government has not been
responding to the amateurish and jejune statements from the PDP
precisely because the party has failed to learn the ropes of being
an opposition party, ”even when we have advised them to take a
crash course on the role of the opposition in a democracy.

”We broke our own rules this time because the PDP over-reached
itself and scored an own goal at a time it could simply have
congratulated the government and people of Nigeria on the release
of the girls or just keep quiet,” he said.

The Minister assured Nigerians that the Federal Government will
intensify the ongoing efforts to secure the release of the
remaining Chibok girls and return them safely to their families,
just like over 100 other Chibok girls who have so far been
released, unlike the PDP that could not secure the release of even
one of the girls before it was booted out of power.